Akshayavat

Akshayavat in Prayagraj is revered as the umbrella spread over the sacred city of Prayagraj, as per the Padma Purana. It is a sacred banyan tree in the vicinity of the Patalpuri temple located at the Prayagraj fort in Prayagraj city. It stands on the banks of the sacred Yamuna River, right next to the sangam. The Akshayavat is the undying tree that means it has been living from time immemorial. The Padma Purana mentions

shyaamo vatoshyaamagunam vrnoti, svacchaayayaa shyaamlayaa janaanaam
shyaamah shramam krntati yatra drishtaha sa tirtharaajo jayati prayaagaha

All glories to Prayag, the King of Tirthas. In this holy place Shyam Vata benedicts the human beings with sattva guna through its cool shade and all the sins are destroyed after having darshan of Lord Madhava in this place.

All over the tract of Bharata Varsha, there are sacred trees worshiped by the followers of Sanatana Dharma. The banyan trees are especially prominent amongst these. Most importantly, there are six Akshayavat trees mentioned in the sastras. They are:

1. Prayagraj
2. Vrindavana
3. Kashi
4. Gaya
5. Jagannath Puri
6. Kurukshetra

While all of them have lilas unique to them, we shall read about the Akshayavat tree in Prayagraj, the King of all Teerthas in detail.

Valmiki Ramayana mentions about this tree

As per the Valmiki Ramayana, this vata tree in Prayagraj was seen by Lord Ramachandra and Sita Devi. While Lord Rama had camped at Bhadwaja Muni’s Ashram, the revered sage had told Lord Ramachandra that if He sees the Akshayavat tree in Prayagraj on His journey to Chitrakoot, He can be assured that He is on the right path. He also instructed Mother Sita to worship the tree to fulfill her auspicious desires. This Akshayavat is the resort of the perfected souls.

There are many more events connected to this sacred tree. It is said that a devotee who visits Prayagraj will be able to get the complete benefit only after visiting the Akshayavat tree and praying to it. It is also said that the desires of devotees get fulfilled after they pray here post a sacred bath in the Triveni Sangam.

Lord Brahma performed the first yagna i.e., sacrifice under the Akshayavat tree by inviting all the 33 crore demigods. There was a pond called Kaamkoop next to the Akshayavat where people would jump from the tree to attain moksha. This was mentioned by the Chinese traveler Hwansang in his book after he visited the place in 644 CE. The traveler had seen human skeletons in the pond. King Akbar later closed the Akshayavat and the Kaampkoop pond after knowing about it to hurt the sentiments of devotees.

Akshayavat is the eternal Tree

The Prayagraj fort was built by Akbar in the year 1583 CE. It took 42 years to complete. It was later taken over by the British and lastly the Indian Army. During the foundation work of the fort, the Mughals made several attempts to destroy the Akshayavat, especially King Jahangir to prevent people from coming here but it was all in vain. The Akshayavat stood ground, true to its sacredness. Hence, also referred to as the undying tree.

This tree was chopped and burnt 23 times by the Mughals, but it would grow back again and attain the same form very soon.

It is said that the banyan tree in the Prayagraj fort compound is only 300 years old. The actual Akshayavat tree is said to be underneath the ground in the Patalpuri temple. It stands in a deep niche above an underground shaft which is said to lead to the Triveni Sangam. It is said to have been moved here during the British era to control the flow of devotees coming here. Old British-era maps of the fort indicate the same.

History Professor D P Dubey, from the Allahabad University says that Akshayavat has three names as per the Padma Purana. It is called Adivat, Shyamvat, and Akshayvat. At one point in time, there were many banyan trees grown from the Akshayavat right from Dariyabad and Baluaghat upto the Sangam.

Is invisible Saraswati underneath this tree?

The invisible Saraswati river flows from beneath this tree. There is a Saraswati well too inside the Prayagraj fort which is said to be the meeting point of the sacred Saraswati river with the sacred Ganga and Yamuna rivers. It is also called as Saraswati koop.

The Shool-Tankeshwar Shivalinga here is said to have been installed by Lord Brahma. The water used to perform the ceremonial bathing of the Shivalinga goes directly to the root of the Akshayavat from where it flows on and mixes with the Sangam.

How to visit

You have to travel to Prayagraj if you desire to see the Akshayavat tree. Equally important is to take a sacred bath in the Triveni Sangam before going to see the Akshayavat. This will ensure the complete blessings of a pilgrimage to Prayagraj as per the scriptures.

You can reach Prayagraj in the following ways:

Best way to enjoy a fulfilling pilgrimage is join the Ayodhya Kashi Yatra by Tirtha Yatra in which you can have darshan of Akshayavat and other holy places.

1. By Air – There are direct flights to Prayagraj from major cities in India. The airport is located at Bamrauli on the outskirts of Prayagraj city.
2. By Train – The ‘Prayagraj Junction’ station is well connected by trains from major cities in India and other small cites in Uttar Pradesh. It is the headquarters of North Central railway.
3. By Road – National highways and State highways connect the city to other parts of the country. Inter-state bus services are available from the three bus stations of Prayagraj.